Establishing Operating Characteristics for Non-Motorized Road Users

State departments of transportation (DOT) have qualitative design guidance available to them for walkable and bikeable transportation system improvements. However, the specific design of non-motorized transportation facilities is often selected based on the amount of space available, rather than the physical and operational characteristics of their users and equipment. Bicycle-related research into operational characteristics is limited, and more information about bicycles and their riders is needed. Recently completed research has improved our understanding of bicyclist acceleration and speed on conventional bicycles, but more information is needed related to reaction time, deceleration, braking, lean angle, coefficients of friction, and lateral shy distance. Further, the research does not capture the full range of users, such as those using e-bikes and other micromobility devices. Pedestrian traits such as walking speed and space requirements have been well-studied, but only in certain contexts. Pedestrian walking speed influences traffic signal timings, and walking speed information has been collected through a variety of methods. Sophisticated modeling of pedestrian flow is available to apply toward the design of infrastructure such as transit stations. However, available guidance does not fully capture how pedestrians, including those using mobility devices, operate in a typical transportation context. The objective of this research is to collect information about the basic operating characteristics of a wide range of pedestrians, bicyclists, and other micromobility users to better understand their spatial requirements along sidewalks, bikeways, and roadways. This research will be useful to transportation planners and designers seeking to develop safe and effective infrastructure for non-motorized users.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=6066
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $750,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 20-149

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Weeks, Jennifer

• Start Date: 20260608
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bicycles; Bicycling; Micromobility; Pedestrian flow; Pedestrian movement; Transportation planning
• Subject Areas: Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01992203
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 20-149
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Jun 9 2026 5:35PM